1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray amorphous-crystalline material with high solubility which can be used both as a bioactive bone replacement material, e.g. in the form of a coating applied onto metallic prosthesis sticks by thermal spraying or by rf sputtering, and as a substrate material in biotechnology, especially in tissue engineering, e.g. in the form of a ceramic sheet or of a compact or porous, i.e. spongiosa-like, scaffold-like, moulded body. The invention also relates to a manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In principle, inorganic materials which are easily resorbed are known. Materials which are specifically used as bioactive bone replacement materials and dissolve quickly have also been described in the relevant literature. For example, there have been numerous publications dedicated to the successful clinical use of ceramic materials the main crystal phases of which are alpha- or beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP). In addition, there have been comparative analyses of these two TCP phases using animal tests. It is known from EP 237043 that granulated materials made of alpha-TCP contain dicalcium phosphate on their surface, whose solubility was higher than that of the pure alpha-PCT core material, especially in the initial phase following an implantation.
The chemical solubility of the aforesaid granulated materials was surpassed by other bioactive materials based on calcium phosphates which in addition contain oxides of potassium, sodium, magnesium and/or silicon (EP 541564 B1) and the glassy-crystalline material of which is based on the following main crystal phases: Phase X, rhenanite, phase according to Ando (Phase A) and/or mixed crystals derived from the aforesaid phases.